Rishabh Pant made a strong return to competitive cricket in the Indian Premier League and made his way back to the national team on Tuesday, as he was named in the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup. Pant produced impressive performances in the ongoing IPL season, with 398 runs to his name in 11 innings; he is currently Delhi Capitals' highest run-scorer and fifth-highest overall.
Following a near-fatal car crash 16 months ago, Pant endured a year-long absence from the game in 2023. Amidst his recovery journey, which included extensive rehabilitation efforts, the wicketkeeper-batter faced physical limitations stemming from the accident. Moreover, insights from a key figure involved in Pant's rehabilitation revealed that he underwent significant dietary adjustments to aid his recovery process, too.
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Now, as Pant returns to don the Indian colours, these revelations shed light on the challenges he overcame to reclaim his place on the field.
“He adopted a calorie-deficit diet since late December. If his body demanded 1400 calories a day, he was given around 1000 calories. It was tough on him since he had to train very hard to gain match fitness and had to strengthen the muscles on his injured right leg,” the source told Times of India.
{{/usCountry}}“He adopted a calorie-deficit diet since late December. If his body demanded 1400 calories a day, he was given around 1000 calories. It was tough on him since he had to train very hard to gain match fitness and had to strengthen the muscles on his injured right leg,” the source told Times of India.
{{/usCountry}}The report mentions that Pant had to also give up on Rasmalai (a sweet dish), in addition to Biryani and fried chicken. He wasn't allowed to have Sushi, too. Over the past four months, Pant has lost 16kgs.
“Pant wanted flavour in his food. That’s why he moved into a rented house in Bengaluru while he was at the NCA, instead of a hotel. He preferred home-cooked food. He was allowed only 5 ml of extra virgin olive oil. He couldn’t give up his love for chilly chicken. So, a recipe was derived to make it with that much oil. Goan bhindi was one of his favourites.”
Restrictions on gadgets use
The source also revealed that there were also strict measures on Pant's usage of electronic gadgets. He was mandated to have eight-to-nine hours of sleep and, hence, wasn't allowed to use gadgets beyond 11 pm.
“All gadgets, including phones, iPads and TVs were shut down by 11 in the night. He had to have eight-nine hours of uninterrupted sleep to get back to rigorous training next morning,” the source said.
The report further mentions that Pant used to spend 2.5 hours in practice nets while batting once he regained fitness, and gradually began wicketkeeping drills, too.